Bureau of Reclamation, Acquisition Operations Branch, Code D-7810, Denver Federal Center, PO Box 25007, Denver CO 80225

C -- REMOVE AND SHIP FOUR INTACT, FULL THICKNESS PRESTRESSED CONCRETE PIPE WALL SAMPLES SOL 1425-96-RQ-81-00057 DUE 042596 POC Evelyn M. Tate, Contracting Officer, 303/236-8040 extension 228 Concerns having the ability to remove and ship four intact, full-thickness, Hayden-RhodesAqueduct prestressed concrete pipe wall samples (about 3-feet circumferential by 1-foot longitudinal by 2-feet thick) from at least four pipes exposed on two previously excavated sites located on the New River Arizona Project, near Phoenix, AZ are requested to give written notification, including a telephone number for a POC to the acquisition office listed in this notice within 30 calendar days from the date of synopsis. The Bureau of Reclamation, requires a Contractor for removal of at least four intact, full-thickness, Hayden-Rhodes Aqueduct (HRA) prestressed concrete pipe wall samples. Full-thickness samples must be externally acquired through thick pipe walls sequentially consisting of mortar (about 3/4-inch thick), steel wire (about 1/4-inch in diameter, spaced every 1/4-inch), concrete (about 2-feet thick) and possibly a steel cylinder (about 1/16-inch thick). Excavation of the 252-inch diameter pipes will be performed by Reclamation prior to sampling; internal access through the siphons will not be permitted unless permission is granted on an emergency basis by Reclamation in accordance with Reclamation construction safety standards. At each excavation site, excavations will be performed to the joint of the two pipe units to be exposed. Thereafter, about one-third of each pipe (each 22-feet long) will be exposed from the joint in the longitudinal direction. Additionally, about two feet right of the crown and four feet left of the crown will be exposed circumferentially. Full-thickness samples must be acquired which preserve the in situ environment about each wire's periphery inclusive of the bond to the mortar and concrete core; thus the cut wire must be externally and mechanically restrained from moving off of the concrete pipe core. Thereafter, the exposed surfaces of the sampled areas must each be covered and secured with a plate that is of sufficient thickness and strength to resist at least 25 feet of earth overburden. The plates must be fastened in place. If the plates and fasteners are comprised of ferrous components they must be completely coated with a Reclamation-approved corrosion-resistant material. The acquired samples must be shipped by the contractor, using a contractor -supplied method that will preserve intact sample integrity, to the Engineering and Research Laboratory, Building 56, in Denver, Colorado where they will be subsequently prepared by Reclamation for microscopic analysis. Samples must be acquired and delivered by May 3, 1996. Previous Reclamation experiments have indicated that if a prestressing wire is cut externally through the mortar coating, full wire stress will be established at a circumferential distance of about 18 to 24 inches from the initial cut via expansion and anchoring of the wire into the mortar coating as well as frictional restraint. Thus, circumferential sample lengths of about 3-feet minimum are required to obtain a preserved wire environment representative of in situ conditions at sample center with no external restraints. When external mechanical restraints are applied, they serve to further compress the wire against the concrete core thereby preventing less of it from becoming totally stress -relieved and preserving more of an intact, representative sample over the 3-foot circumferentiallength. Contractor-supplied mechanical restraints covering an external surface area of 3-feet circumferential by 1-foot longitudinal minimum, are therefore required (1) during sample removal to hold the wires in place thereby providing a large preserved area representative of in situ conditions towards the sample center and (2) after sample removal to provide a means of gradual stress-relief of the prestressing wire towards the sample center as mechanical restraints are subsequently and systematically removed from the ends by Reclamation to facilitate additional sample modifications. On thinner-walled pipes, the mortar-wire-concrete interface has been successfully preserved by use of metal banding straps that were inserted through circumferential cuts and tightened around the sample prior to cutting of the prestressing wire and complete sample removal. The procedure allowed for gradual stress-relief of the wire and an intact, preserved specimen toward the center as banding straps were subsequently removed from the ends. After additional Reclamation cutting and applications of epoxy, a thin section representative of the in situ wire environment, about the size of a microscope slide, was and will be ultimately produced for the purposes of petrographic analysis. The removal of samples from large diameter pipe necessitates the use of contractor-supplied specialized equipment, namely a wire saw, which provides the only known practical means of acquiring specimens from thick-walled structures. Associated equipment, materials and services likely to be required: (1) to initially core through the pipe walls to allow for positioning of a specialized wire saw into the pipe interior from the pipe exterior. (2) to provide for at least 3-feet circumferential by 1-foot longitudinal mechanical restraint over the external pipe surface to prevent the prestressing wire to be cut from lifting off of the concrete pipe core (i.e. perhaps by use of mechanical restraints such as bolts, angle irons, steel plates or a combination thereof). (3) to saw through the reinforcing wire (i.e probably by circular saws) as well as chip concrete and mortar (i.e. likely with pneumatic hammers) to provide a path or guide for the wire saw. (4) to support the heavy (about 900 pound), full-thickness sample during cutting and removal. (5) to support and transport the removed specimens in intact and preserved form to the Reclamation laboratory in Denver, Colorado (i.e. likely by pallets, steel bands via truck). (6) to cover and secure all exposed surfaces of the sampled areas with plates that are of sufficient thickness and strength to resist at least 25 feet of earth overburden. The plates must be fastened in place (i.e. likely with bolts). If the plates and fasteners are comprised of ferrous components they must be completely coated with a Reclamation-approved dielectric material (i.e. epoxy or moisture cured urethane). (therefore, 7) to provide a safe working environment in compliance with Reclamation construction safety standards. Electricity, compressed air and water will not be available at the excavation sites; thus self-contained, contractor-provided equipment (i.e. generators, compressors, water storage containers) will be required for the operation of contractor-supplied equipment (i.e. saws, pneumatic hammers). Water is available to the contractor a few miles from the sampling sites; however, it must be pumped out of canals, stored and transported to the excavation sites by the contractor for accessibility. Reclamation believes that only DeAndrea Coring and Sawing Inc., possesses the unique knowledge, equipment (along with the associated skills/capabilities necessary to operate this equipment) and capabilities that are required for obtaining prestressed concrete pipe samples in an intact and preserved form such that they may be further modified and studied in sufficient microscopic detail by Reclamation. The removal of samples from 252-inch diameterpipe, the largest circular prestressed structures ever built, necessitates the use of a wire saw, which provides the only known practical means of acquiring specimens from thick-walled structures. Samples must be acquired by the beginning of May 1996. This is not a formal solicitation. Firms that respond shall provide detailed data concerning their capabilities to meet this requirement. Firms may request to receive a copy of the solicitation when and if it becomes available. This notice may represent the only official notice of such a solicitation. All sources responding to this synopsis shall submit information relating to business status, including identification as to whether they are small, large, minority-owned, and/or woman-owned. The small business size standard for this acquisition is $2.5 Million average annual receipts over the past three years. See Note 22. (0067)

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